Rail-eitting



W-v B. CATER- RAIL FITTING.

APPLICATION FILED MN. 15, 1917.

1,326,182. Patented Dec. 30,1919.

some extensive use. I

Tl'NTTE' sinsa nt rnron WILLIAM B. CATER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNORT0 JOHN SIMMONS COMPANY, OF

NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

RAIL-FITTING.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Egg 3(), 1919.

Application filed January 15, 1917. Serial No. 142,378.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM B. Caren, a citizen of the United States,residing at New York city, county of Kings, and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Fittings, fullydescribedand represented in the following specification andtheaccompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in rail fittings ofthatclass in which rails are set up in position in posts or standards,as, for example, the guard rail constructions now widely employed inrailway and subway construction. h I

It is the especial object of the present invention to provide animproved fitting for use in such constructions in which the rails andthe standards or posts are locked together by a locking means which canbe placed in the fitting after the rails are in position, and can beremoved from the fitting while the rails are in position thereon,

so that if it benecessary for any; reason to V replace such locking.means, this can be done without disassembling the whole structure, andso that, furthermore, the locking means will'n'ot be displaced or lostwhen it is necessary to readjustor tighten the loekingineans after thestructure has become settled by It is a further object of the inventionto provide an lnprcved'fitting for this purpose which shall be simple,and therefore cheap in construction, and which'will be ef fective forlong periods.

With these and otherobjects in view, a detailed description of thepreferred constructions for effecting them, will be'given in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section ofa two-rail high structure, showing the improved fittings, the rail pipesand supportlng post being broken away to save space;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the upper part of the construction shown inFig; 1, and

Fig. 3 is an end view of the lower. part of the construction shown inFig. 1, part of the standard or post being shown broken away.

7 Referring now to these drawings, constructions embodying the inventionwill embody a sleeve or other'siinilar tubular sup port through whichthe rail passes, such a sleeve being marked 1. In constructionsembodying the invention, this sleeve will be provided with a projectionby which the litting is attached in the structure. These attachingprojections are marked 2, and in the preferred construction will beformed integrally with the sleeve 1. In the drawings is shown a sleevehaving one attaching projection which is used for the upper ra'il, and asleeve having the lower attaching projection 2 and an upper attachingprojection 33, this latter sleeve being used for the middle orunder-rails, where the rail structure is two or more rails high. Theattaching projection 2 is threaded and has connected thereto a standardor post section 4: of pipe as is usual. The fitting employed for theiniddie or under-rails has the other end of the post or standard 4threaded into the attaching projection 3, before referred to.

- suitable post support, not shown.

The rails which are, as usual, of iron pipe, are marked 6 and areinserted in the sleeves and locked in position by locking wedgescooperatingwitl: the sleeves and acting to lock the pipethereon. Inaccordance with the invention, these locking wedges are so shapedthatthe wedge locking key may be placed in position in the fitting andre moved therefrom while the rail is in place. The wedge keys are,furthermore, so shaped as to have a large bearing surface against thepipe, and the locking key and the attaching projections are formed togive a large bearing surface for the other side of the locking keys.While the constructions for effecting this may be somewhat varied, apreferred form of key isthat shown in Fig. 1, marked 7 this key 7 beingprovided with an end 1.2 having a wedge-shaped surface 13 and a longstraight surface 14, a

stem 15 extending from the head 12 and dropped. downward slightly, asshown, and

ting, this construction permitting the bearing surface let to be verylong, and thus result in a very strong and rigid structure, and permitsthe key to be positioned in the fitting and removed therefrom while therails are in position. In the best constructions the inner wall of theprojection 2 at the point where the bottom of slot 16 is made, is formedthicker than the rest of the wall, this being readily effected bycasting a lug 19 at that point, this construction giving a substantialbearing surface at that point for the locking key. With a locking key asbefore described, the other side of the projection 2 opposite the slot,is provided with a hole 20 through which the threaded end of the key ispassed. Suitable means; are provided for locking the keys in wedgingposition in the fitting and for taking up wear necessitated by settlingof the structure or other reasons. These means may be of variouscharacters. A convenient one is a nut 21. Where the locking means is anut, this nut will be preferably of brass to prevent it from rustingfast to the stem, and will preferably be provided with a recess 22 forprotecting a certain number of the threads at the threaded end of thekey which can be used for tightening the wedge. In assembling structuresembodying the invention, a certain number of the posts, such as 3, areset up at suitable spaces and the pipes inserted in the fittings and therails and posts trued up to proper position. The locking keys are thenput in place and tightened up to locking position. With the constructiondescribed, a very strong, rigid structure can be produced and one inwhich the locking keys can be inserted and removed while the rails arein place, so that it is not necessary to disassemble the structure,where it is necessary to put in new keys, if they by any chance becomelost or wear out.

' While the invention has been shown and described in its preferredform, it will be understood that certain changes and variations maybemade in it without departing from the invention. It will be understood,furthermore, that the fitting is cap-able of use with structures otherthan railings oi the class referred to,and may be and is intended foruse in other relations.

hat is claimed isi 1. In a rail fitting, the combination with a rail, ofa sleeve through which the rail passes, a wedge locking key, means forpositioning the key in the sleeve and removing it therefrom while therail is in position in the sleeve, and means for operating the key tolock the rail in the sleeve.

In a rail fitting, the combination with a rail of a sleeve through whichthe rail passes, an attaching projection on the sleeve having a slotopen at the top through the thickness of the sleeve and projection, thelower face of which is beveled, a wedge locking key formed to passthrough the slot into the projection under the rail having a wedge facecooperating with the beveled face of the slot and a plain face takingagainst the rail, a stem on the key passing through an opening in theprojection, and means cooperating with the stem for locking the key inthe projection.

3. In a rail fitting, the'combination of a sleeve through whichthe railpasses, an attaching projection onthe sleeve having a slot extendingthrough the wall of the sleeve and projection, the lower wall of theprojection being beveled and formed with a thickened portion having asimilar bevel to provide a wide bearing surface, a wedge locking keyformed to pass through the slot having a wedge face cooperating with thebeveled face of the slot and the thickened portion and a plain facetaking against the rail, a stem on the key extending through an openingin the projection, and means on the stem for locking the key inposition.

4:. In a rail fitting, the combination with a rail, of a sleeve throughwhich the rail passes, a wedge locking key having a stern, an opening atone side of the sleeve through which the stem may be passed, a slot openat the top through the thickness of the sleeve at the opposite side ofthe sleeve said openings permitting the insertion and removal of the keywhen the rail is in position in the sleeve, and means for operating thekey to lock the rail in the sleeve.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM B. GATER.

